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THE CHANCE GUEST
By George Elmer Cobb
(Copyright, 1917, W. G. Chapman.)
'Til s'pnse mamma. She'll be tired
and hungry. U-unv! I'd like to taste
the pie. But I mustn't, not even a
wee, tiny smidge."
Arline Ross, age 7, queen of the
little kitchen of the humble Ross
home, assumed a grand, important
air as she smoothed put the table
cloth and proceeded to set in turn
on its worn surface a pie, half a doz
en doughnuts and some sliced boiled
ham. Then she looked into the
steaming coffee pot The aromaaris
ing was satisfactory.
"And I earned it all!" pronounced
Arline proudly. "Isn't it queer, me
earning money? I heard Mrs. Daw
son telling a neigbhor she couldn't
leave the 'children alone, and I
stepped up and said I'd be glad to
watch and amuse them. Then, when
she came home, she gave me half a
dollar and I marketed!" and Arline
chuckled gleefully.
A full table" had been a rarity at
the Ross home for some weeks past.
Dire trouble had fallen on gentle, pa
tient Mary Ross. Her husband, Ed
gar, had one fault "Ever so often
he fell in with drinking comrades at
the mill where he was a bookkeeper
and a night of revelry ensued. Mary
had borne this corrow meekly, for
when sober, Edgar Ross was the soul
of kindness and consideration.
Then one night there came terrible
news. Ross had been dissipating all
the evening. There had been a num
ber of robberies in the town and the
police were on the lookout for the
perpetrators. According to their
story, they had met Ross escoftedvby
a stranger. They were suspicious" of
strangers. Only on hour previous'a'
house had been broken into and val
uable jewelry stolen.
At sight of the stranger they had
halted him, questioned him and
searched him. They found nothing
suspicious on his. person and the of
ficer, knowing Ross, took him in
charge to- see him safely home. The
stranger went his way. As Ross
neared home something fell from his
pocket It was a watch and some
diamond rings done up in a handker
chief. The officer identified them as
the articels stolen from the burglar
ized house. Jtos's, in his condition,
could not explain their possession. A
week Mter he. was sent to the pejii
tentiary for ten years as a common
burglar.
Then came sorrow, hardship, for
Mary The trial took all of their sav-
"Poor Man!" Whispered Arline to
Herself.
ings. She was called on to support
herself and the little girl. Only a
few were willing to employ the wife
of a convict as a seamstress. The
shoe pinched sorely, and well might
little Arline regard the unusual meal
that was the result of her own dtli
gence as a spread quite royal.
Arline got tired waiting for the re
turn of her mother. She went out
on ,the street and peered far down
its length. There was no longer-foe
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